Various types of lighting systems are currently available for use with lighted medical and surgical scopes including, for example, ENT scopes, laparoscopes, endoscopes, etc. Typically, in such lighting systems, the light inlet of a standard fiberoptic cable is connected to an illuminator or other type of light source. The opposite, outlet end of the fiberoptic cable is attached to a standard rigid glass fiber light carrier, which is itself encased and fused within an elongate metal sleeve or tube. This sleeve is sized and configured to fit snugly in a channel of the scope that is being utilized. Light is directed from a distal output end of the light carrier and discharged from the channel of the scope to illuminate a particular medical or surgical procedure.
The surgical lighting system described above exhibits a number of limitations and disadvantages. Because the light carrier is secured within a rigid metal casing, its use is normally limited to only a single type of scope, as well as a scope that has a specific corresponding size and configuration. Conventional light carriers are not versatile and cannot be used with the wide variety of medical and surgical scopes that are currently available. A separate and distinct light carrier is usually required for each different size and type of surgical instrument. The metal casing can also present problems because, during use, it is apt to transmit heat generated by the light carrier. This can make the scope difficult to handle, which is likely to interfere with or complicate the surgical or medical procedure being performed. Scopes featuring the known light carrier can also be difficult to clean and sanitize. The rigid carrier tends to trap blood within the channel of the scope. This can cause the build up of contaminants which can be troublesome to remove.